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Billionaire cardboard king Richard Pratt will stand aside until
charges against him are resolved, the Carlton Football Club has
announced.

The Visy boss and Carlton Football Club president was yesterday
charged on summons with giving false and misleading evidence to an
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) hearing in
2005.

"Once again, Richard has shown his loyalty to the Carlton Football
Club in standing aside at this time," Swann told reporters.

"He sees the need to deal with these issues personally, and not
have them distract the focus of the club going forward.

"Stephen Kernahan now steps into the role as interim president, and
he will ensure that the great work of the past 16 months (since
Pratt became president) continues."

Kernahan said Pratt had been "truly fantastic for the Carlton
Football Club for more than 50 years".

"We appreciate him putting the club's interest to the fore, as he
has always done."

Swann said he first learnt about the charges last night following a
discussion with Pratt.

He and Kernahan then met Pratt this morning, where he indicated he
thought standing aside would be the best course of action.

Summons lodged

In the summons lodged with the Federal Court, the ACCC charged Mr
Pratt with breaching the Trade Practices Act by denying knowledge
of a price-fixing deal with rival cardboard manufacturer Amcor.

The charge carries a penalty ranging from a $2200 fine to 12 months
in jail. Mr Pratt reportedly faces four counts of the charge. The
ACCC has not confirmed this.

The charges relate to an alleged conversation between Mr Pratt and
former Amcor chief executive Russell Jones at a Richmond hotel in
2001 - raised at the 2005 hearing - which Mr Pratt denied took
place.

Visy admitted colluding with Amcor and was fined $36 million in the
Federal Court last year.

Justice Peter Heerey found the two companies had fixed the
cardboard packaging market over five years, and that Mr Pratt had
profited at the expense of every Australian from it.

The ACCC today said it would allege Mr Pratt knowingly gave false
or misleading evidence at an examination in 2005.

"In 2005 the ACCC convened a number of examinations of Visy
executives under section 155 of the Trade Practices Act 1974,'' it
says.

"These examinations were convened as part of the ACCC's
investigation into alleged cartel conduct in the corrugated
fibreboard packaging industry.''

"Mr Pratt was examined during the course of this investigation. The
investigation culminated in civil proceedings against Visy and
certain Visy executives brought by the ACCC in the Federal
Court.''

Mr Pratt has not entered a plea, the ACCC says. A directions
hearing has been set for July 7.

Carlton Football Club spokesman Ian Coutts this morning referred
media inquiries to Visy.

A Visy spokeswoman said it expected to release a statement later
today.